《Choose 3 (Dropped)》Ch 4 - First test of magic
Advertisement
This time 349 turns around and leaves the fountain area with quicker steps.
[207] "Hey, wait."
349 can now hear 207 running to catch up but doesn't turn around. When 207 catches up to 349 he keeps walking beside him and continues the conversation.
[207] "I'm not trying to steal any of your skills just so you know. We tried to have the mages read other manuals but it seems that we can only have the 3 magics that we chose at the start."
207 pauses but 349 doesn't respond.
[207] "Because you read one of the manuals first and got a higher rank, I'm assuming that you're going to keep your skills. So when the beta ends you won't even be able to keep them. They have no use to you so why don't you give them to me?"
207 continues to pester 349 into giving him the manuals as 349 continues walking to the village's exit. During the walk, 349 keep thinking about what he should do to get rid of 207. When they reach the gate to the village 349 turns around and addresses 207.
[349] "So you want to know about my magics?"
[207] "That's what I've been saying. But I won't give you any information if I already know about them."
207 continues to talk but 349 ignores him and starts using his magic. Crouching to the ground with his back to 207, 349 starts by drawing a circle. Within the circle he draws 火. Afterwards he draws another circle around the first and includes the same symbol in the space in between. 349 chose this symbol because it was one of the easiest ones to get right on the first try.
The finished circle was about 3 feet in diameter and used up about 80% of his mana. Using the last of his mana, 349 followed a suggestion from the manual. After finishing a spell circle, the creator can manipulate all of the ink except for the exterior circle. This allows spell circles' purposes to remain incognito even to other creators.
Advertisement
When he was finished 349 stood up and turned to face 207. 207 had been trying to look over his shoulder but 349 made sure he couldn't see anything until the interior was changed.
[207] "A pentagram? You spent all that time to draw a simple star?"
Indeed. 349 had changed the interior of his circle into a pentagram. And because the circle required mana while being drawn, it took him longer to drawn than he thought.
[349] "This is a part of my magic. Put your hands in the center and feed it mana. It'll help you learn about my magic."
With an excited look on his face, 207 assumed the orz pose and started to feed his mana into the circle.
207 then spent the next minute feeding mana into the circle. Meanwhile, 349 was starting to feel guilty about what he was doing. 207 then looked up to 349 with an annoyed look on his face but stayed kneeling in the circle.
[207] "Is this a trick? Am I even doing anything? Or are you just trying to get rid of me?"
Sighing, 349 decided to tell him a bit of the truth.
[349] "This is a spell circle. I tried to make it so that it would charge its' spell then release it. It should be absorbing the mana in the air for its' spell. But by having you supply it with your own mana the process should be sped up. And yes it is designed to get rid of you."
[207] "Ha, I tricked you."
[349] "Huh?"
207 moved from kneeling to sitting, but was still in the circle. He was now looking at 349 with a smug grin on his face.
[207] "I haven't been feeding the circle any mana. I've just been biding my time till I could get some information out of you. So you can use spell circles, that neat."
Advertisement
349 was stunned. But after a minute he found his voice.
[349] "Why are you so obsessed with information?"
207 opened his mouth but never got the chance to talk. At this moment 349's circle had fully charged and released his spell. The spell that he had chosen was the only one he was sure was simple enough to draw and dangerous enough to kill. 349 had chosen to make a flame pillar.
Because 207 hadn't left the fountain, he hadn't leveled up and was incinerated on the spot.
You have killed 207.
During the beta all PK benefits and punishments are removed therefore you will not receive any experience or loot.
[349] "Ohhh, so his name was 207."
349 exited the village after taking one last look at it. He knew that he couldn't return here for the rest of the beta. Even if there weren't any consequences to killing he knew that 207 would spread word to his guild members. And they would make the beta less enjoyable for him if he was found.
It was times like these that 349 was glad the beta didn't have a sanity bar for food.
AN: This was originally part of ch 3 but I separated them into 2 ch's
Advertisement
13.AI
AI means Artificial Intelligence. But those words don't match Al, either of them. Neither Artificial, nor Intelligent. At least not at the beginning. No, an AI requires input, trial & error, and careful observation. But at that point, what makes it any different than human? How are binary choices any different than the choices in a human life. I wager that there is no difference. But what will he think?
8 102Wings of Sorrow
Tension permeates the city of Bleakridge as forces within its walls struggle for supremacy. Grim Thorne, the disinherited son of the Earl, is a fly caught in the web of power struggles between these forces. When Grim closes his eyes, he can still see the bodies piled high from the first day of occupation. The day he was branded a bastard in the southern fashion. The day his father let them. Soldiers from the south bearing green cloaks and royal seals maintain order in the streets of Bleakridge, ensuring that the lifeblood of commerce continues to flow through the port city. In the slums beyond the outer wall, the Sons of the Reaper lurk. Some call them heroes, others villains. But all fear them for their relentless devotion to the old ways and the freedom that entails. In the castle above the city, resides the Earl of Bleakridge. The man who bent the knee and saved the lives of his people, if not their souls. After twenty years of occupation, the tension is coming to a head and Grim has to choose. Sympathetic to the Sons, duty bound to his father, and forced into service to the king. He must rise above the brand on his neck and decide where his true loyalties lie. But, after so long, it can be hard to tell who is deserving of loyalty. The King’s men who enforce order with a blood-soaked iron fist? The Sons who more resemble terrorists and crime lords than revolutionaries? Or the father who watches the bloodshed and does nothing? In the end, it is always the place of the young to bear the sins of the old.
8 201The Jianghu
Authors note: I appreciate feedback! Part of the reason I am releasing my chapters here is to benefit from reader feedback. If you have the time, please leave a review! Brian has lost everything he has ever held dear. Everyone who cared for him has died, in the most tragic manner possible. He no longer knows what to do. He sees no hope for the future in a world where anyone he loves will die. What is the point in trying in this reality if it all leads to sadness?And then along came the Ingenium, the worlds first true Virtual Reality device. And The Jianghu, a Wuxia-themed Virtual Reality MMO, came with it. Brian doesn't understand it yet, but he feels that both are connected with his dead parents and Uncle Jie. With the intent of figuring out what that connection is, or at least forgetting about his tragedy, he enters The Jianghu.
8 132To Let Go (Shindo Yo)
sleep, he's not worth it.
8 183The Pharaoh's Dancer
"Do you know what to do, Amunet?" A voice as sweet as silk whispered into the young girl's ear. Amunet didn't look over her shoulder, but shifted uncomfortably on her bare feet before nodding her head. A soft hand touched her back and urged her forward. All eyes turned towards the girl dressed in transparent linen with her dark hair tumbling down her back and her violet eyes lined by kohl. Every movement caused the jewels on her wrists and ankles to dangle and shimmer in the light.She raised her head and found the Pharaoh's transfixed stare. His jade eyes narrowed in on hers and the room became still and silent. Amunet bowed and, at the pluck of a harp string, began to dance.---cover by @AddietayDoes contain reference to some mature themes that may not be suited for a younger audience.
8 187Lore Olympus Oneshots
**2022 update: I am so sorry for everything in this series it's literal garbage on fire. However, I will leave it up just to reflect on my horrific mess and appreciate how much better I've gotten at writing lol.Short stories/ fanfics that I wrote about Lore Olympus (specifically about Hades and Persephone 🤧💕)
8 104